Author's Note: Hello lovely readers, I was asked to participate in NaruHina Fluffy Day – Indonesia this year which is from May 8 to May 15. Last year, I only posted a one-shot entitled The Day He Met Her but, this year I decided to do a miniseries consisting of eight chapter to fill the whole week! So, as always, I hope you enjoy!

The Sun & The Moon: Chapter 1 – "Hi…"

He downed another shot of espresso, his fifth so he could continue to stay away during his graveyard shift at his campus' café and lounge. He tossed the paper cup into a nearby trash can that was close to overflowing with similar cups, his other co-workers hunched over counters with their noses buried in textbooks and flipping through coffee-stained notebooks.

Caffeine, the appropriately named 24/7 café and lounge that rest in the heart of Konoha University's Hub, contained the usual pack of students who needed elsewhere to study. There were those who had roommates who decided to partake in extracurricular activities without telling their roommates and said roommates arrived at their door with a sock on the handle. Others needed to get out of their room because it smelt like they hadn't showered in days (and more often than not, they hadn't showered in days). And then there were those who just needed some coffee to stay awake long enough to cram five weeks' worth of material in less than eight hours before exams.

Uzumaki Naruto was no exception to that cramming rule, but he was unlucky enough to get stuck pulling a double shift at Caffeine. Despite arguing with his boss, he got stuck with the graveyard shift. Now he was stuck studying for his finals while struggling to stay awake and wondering if he could die from a caffeine overdose.

"Excuse me?"

The voice was too soft for a sleep-deprived college student who was desperate to pass. He looked up and saw a new face. Well, she wasn't new to him, but she was new to the group of night owls who hung around Caffeine pass two in the morning. He'd seen her around campus plenty of times and spotted her in the library when he was trying to find a place to nap. But before that, he remembered having bumped into her at orientation three years ago. Neither of them was paying attention, and in typical cinematic fashion, they crashed into one another.

"Hi…" He stood with his back a little straighter now and was quietly hoping he didn't look a complete mess. He cleared his throat and spoke again, "Hi."

"Hi." She wore a small but sweet smile on her lips as she returned the greeting.

He stared at her a bit. She had navy blue hair that was tied back into a ponytail but still ended just above her waist with lavender colored eyes and pale skin. He remembered her name: Hyuuga Hinata. He then remembered where he was and what his job was and tapped the register awake. "Sorry. What can I get you?"

"Venti iced green tea lemonade please, half the ice," she ordered.

He nodded and tapped her ordered in. "Anything else?"

"Do you have any cinnamon rolls left?" she questioned in almost a whisper.

"Cinnamon roll?" he repeated and watched her nod. He glanced over to the display case and didn't see. He was sure there was one there a while ago, and it hadn't sold because he'd been at the register since ten last night. He looked at her. "We have on left."

"I'll take it then," she said as she fished out her wallet and pulled a few bills from inside.

"Five dollars and thirty-five cents," he informed her before taking the cash from her. He counted it out and gave her back her change before handing her her receipt. He picked up a venti-sized up and almost began writing. He stopped himself and looked at her. "Name?"

"Hinata," she answered.

He nodded and wrote her name on the cup. He never hated his handwriting more than he ever has before. "Give me a minute," he said before putting the cup down on the counter and slipping into the breakroom. Sitting at the table, half-awake, was Inuzuka Kiba. "Kiba," he called and tried his best not to laugh when Kiba's head dropped enough to hit his forehead on the table and jolt himself awake.

"I'm up!" Kiba declared as he struggled to open his eyes. Through sheer will, Kiba kept them open long enough to see Naruto. "Hey, buddy, what's up? I wasn't sleeping."

"Uh-huh. Where'd the last cinnamon roll go?" Naruto questioned.

"In my lunch bag," Kiba informed, skeptical at the sudden question. "Why, did you want it? Because I'm not giving it up that easily."

"Twenty bucks," Naruto offered.

Kiba raised an eyebrow and rubbed his chin. "Twenty bucks, huh? That's quite the high price for a four-dollar cinnamon roll."

"Come on," Naruto groaned. "Thirty bucks?"

"Thirty?" Kiba hummed. "I have to say Naruto that this is definitely interesting. Are you that hungry?"

"I will pay you fifty bucks if you just shut up and give me the damn thing already."

"Deal!" Kiba reached into his lunch bag and tossed Naruto the cinnamon roll.

Naruto fished out his wallet and smacked a worn fifty-dollars onto the table before rushing out. He popped the cinnamon roll into the microwave before going to work on Hinata's ice green tea lemonade with half the ice. He looked up as he shook the green tea and lemonade together over towards Hinata who stood by the pick-up counter. The wall beside where Naruto stood had posters for various events and groups around campus, and she seemed to be reading it.

Naruto heard the microwave ding, and he almost fumbled Hinata's drink. He managed to keep the contents from spilling everywhere and he quickly – and carefully – poured it into the appropriate cup. He snapped the lid on before plating her cinnamon roll. He walked over to drop-off counter and cleared his throat, "Hinata."

She stopped looking at the cluster of posters and Naruto. "Thank you," she said as she picked up a straw and slipped it into her cup. She smiled at him one more time before picking up her plate and cup and sitting in the window.

He stood there and stared at her for a minute before heading back to his textbook and notebook. He still hated his handwriting and told himself he'd invest in getting a laptop soon.

As for Hinata, she was thankful Naruto couldn't see her face because her cheeks were red. She was also grateful that no one in the lounge had superhuman hearing because her heart was pounding against her chest so loud, she was sure Naruto would hear it from across the counter. Had she'd known that Naruto was working the graveyard shift at Caffeine, she would've held out on grabbing her green tea and cinnamon roll until much later.

She was already in the door before she saw him at the counter. She saw his trimmed blonde hair first and was sure it was just another student who had dyed their hair but then she saw the recognizable whisker markings on his cheeks. It was then that she decided that she wanted to run but seeing as it was two in the morning and she hadn't slept in almost thirty-six hours, her fearlessness and irrationality seemed to reign supreme over her mind and body at that moment.

So, she walked up to the counter and spoke first. She celebrated internally at being able to talk loud enough the first time that Naruto heard her, but she was sure she'd break once he looked up. Those blue eyes of his were her weakness. They held a kindness in them that was completely unmatched, and she enjoyed how they always seemed to shine. Especially now when he was probably just as sleep deprived as half the campus.

And while waiting for her order, she couldn't help but steal quick glances of him. His strong jaw and broad shoulders were part of the reasons he was whispered about by the female population at Konoha University. Others had whispered about his tanned skin and muscular arms. And some had even mentioned catching glimpses of a perfectly toned six-pack beneath his shirt. Of course, Hinata wasn't sure how much of it was true, but that's not why she was interested in him.

She'd been interested in him since they bumped into one another on orientation day three years ago. She was an incoming freshman, and he was an established junior. There had been a discrepancy with her student account, and she had been rushing across campus to the financial aid office. Not thinking, she had pulled out her phone and was scrambling to find her father's number when she bumped into him. They both fell, and while she recovered, he was already scrambling to gather her things.

She thought he was charming then, especially with that awkward smile and nervous laugh he gave her as he handed off her papers. And because she was in total shock about running into someone like him on orientation day, she apologized and ran off without getting his name. She got his name a few days later though thanks to a flock of freshmen girls who had gathered at the athletic field to watch him play soccer.

She looked at the cup and saw her name scrawled onto the cup. It wasn't the best handwriting, but it was his, and though it wasn't an actual conversation, they exchanged words. She considered it a small victory.

She sat around for about an hour before she left. And coincidentally enough, that's when Naruto was ending his shift. He hadn't even noticed Hinata at the door until they both reached for the handle. He saw how Hinata seemed to jump back and clutch at her hand.

"Sorry," he apologized before pushing out the door.

"Oh, thank you," she said before stepping out ahead of him.

Naruto followed her out before yawning loudly. He was looking forward to the four-hour nap he was about to take and prayed silently to Hagoromo and all his creations that he'd be able to wake up tomorrow morning for his first exam.

"Have a good night," Hinata said politely with a slight bow.

"Ah, mm. Have a good night," Naruto responded back, but neither of them budged. He wasn't sure why he wasn't moving even though a part of him was desperate to end the night on a better note aside from having taken Hinata's order.

"Um," they both spoke at the same time. They gave each other an awkward smile before looking away. He scratched the back of his head while she twiddled her thumbs.

They looked back at one another.

"We bumped into each other once before, right?" Naruto asked, trying to sound casual.

Hinata nodded. "I think so, back at my freshman orientation."

"I thought I recognized you," Naruto joked and was surprised at Hinata's bit of laughter. He laughed a bit too, though awkward, and scratched the back of his head again. "Sorry about that. I should've been paying attention to where I was going."

"There's no need to apologize," Hinata countered. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I was rushing over to financial aid because of a screwup and instead of paying attention I was looking down at my phone. I'm sorry."

Naruto shook his head. "No, no, no. I can't accept an apology from a girl when I was the one at fault. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," Hinata argued.

The two of them looked at each other for a moment before laughing again, this one less awkward and more genuine. There was a bit of silence between them that made it uncomfortable again though. Naruto tapped the toe of his shoe against the ground as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Hinata laced her fingers together behind her back and seemed to look everywhere but at Naruto.

"So," Naruto began, the two of them looking at each other again, "are you headed back to your dorm? It's kind of late, and you probably shouldn't walk alone."

"I'll be fine," she admitted. "I just live that way." Hinata pointed behind her.

"Oh, me too," Naruto said. "Should we walk together then?"

Hinata nodded slightly, her cheeks beginning to turn pink. "Sure."

And they walked. The first couple of steps were in silence before Naruto held his hand out to her. She looked at it, confused, before looking up at him.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself.

She smiled and shook his hand. "Hyuuga Hinata."

And they talked.

"I'm a first-year graduate student," Naruto explained. "I'm aiming for my Master of Business Administrations in Marketing, Financing, and Entrepreneurship."

"I'm a junior undergraduate student aiming for my Bachelor of Laws in Corporate and Administrative Law," Hinata answered.

Naruto nodded. "I will keep that in mind. I can probably put you on retainer in the future."

"Really?" Hinata tapped her chin. "Well seeing as you're a graduate student and I have every intention of going to graduate school, that gives you time to set up. By the time I graduate, you should be successful enough to hire me."

Naruto chuckled, and Hinata giggled.

"Do you usually work the graveyard shift?" Hinata questioned, curious.

Naruto shrug. "Eh, sometimes. It's not an all the time thing though dattebayo. It's just when it comes time for midterms and finals, some of the people I work with had already scheduled their vacation days weeks in advance so that they can study. Others call out and leave the rest of us picking up their shifts."

"Sounds rough," Hinata muttered.

"Rough but manageable. I don't mind it though; it's nowhere near as chaotic as the six o' clock in the morning shift. That's when you get stuck with the arrogant kids from prestigious families who have these outrageous orders that has to be done correctly, or they'll throw a temper tantrum," Naruto groaned.

"I usually get coffee at six in the morning," Hinata commented.

Naruto stopped walking, and Hinata laughed. He let out a sigh of relief and continued walking alongside her. "Very funny."

They made it to her dorm. Once again, they stood awkwardly at the steps of her dorm, neither of them saying a word but wanting to say a lot.

"Well, good night," Hinata said quietly before beginning to climb the steps. "Thank you for walking me back to my dorm, I appreciate it. And I enjoyed talking to you."

"Me too," Naruto said. "I mean, I enjoyed talking to you too."

Hinata giggled again. "Good night, Senpai."

"Good night." Naruto pursed his lips together as he watched Hinata continue to make her way towards her dorm's entrance. She was almost to the door when he called out, "Hey, Hyuuga-san!"

Hinata stopped and looked back at him. She watched as he climbed the steps two at a time before meeting her where she was. "Yes?"

"This may be a bit straightforward but," Naruto swallowed hard, "if you're not doing anything next Friday night after midterms, then I was wondering if you'd be interested in going on a date with me?"

There was another beat of awkward silence before Hinata turned completely red. She managed a stiff nod.

"Yes?" Naruto verified.

"Yes," Hinata confirmed.

Naruto wore a broad grin on his face. "Great! Great. That's…great. Next Friday night after midterms."

Hinata nodded.

"Well, I should let you get some rest," Naruto said. "Good night."

Hinata nodded again before hurrying to her dorm. Naruto stood there on the steps grinning for a few moments more before skipping down the steps. He headed back towards the café, his dorm being on the other end of campus. His four-hour nap being dwindled down into two-hours.

To Be Continued...